Basic Black: Rediscovering Black History in Color

Basic Black

February 20, 2015

The African American experience is taught in many forms from songs to films to performance, but one of the latest forms to grow in popularity is the graphic novel. We’ll talk with author Joel Christian Gill about his newest work, Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives From Black History.

Later in the show, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X, we look at the last years of his life and the meaning of his movement for contemporary times.

Basic Black: After the Storm... Beverly Scott and the MBTA

Basic Black

February 13, 2015

Back to back storms in as little as two weeks dropped record amounts of snow on New England. The capacity of the MBTA’s equipment was put to the test, but the system buckled under the weight of the weather. In the face of widespread train delays and mounting criticism, MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott responded with a fiery press conference that’s not likely to be forgotten anytime soon. The day after her press conference, Scott submitted her letter of resignation. We’ll take a look at her tenure and immediate task at hand to get the trains back to normal.

Later in the show, as the Bay State Banner celebrates 50 years of reporting the news of New England’s communities of color, we discuss the continuing evolution of journalists of color.

Basic Black News of the Week: On-Screen Families and the Vaccination Question

Basic Black

February 6, 2015

This week on Basic Black’s roundtable:

• With the rise of television shows like Black-ish and Empire and the newly-released movie Black and White, we ask if Hollywood is on the way to realistic portrayals of families of color.
• A measles outbreak earlier this week at Disneyland in California re-ignited the debate over vaccinations - with oftentimes limited access to healthcare are children of color at particular risk?

Basic Black: Portraits of Purpose

Basic Black

January 30, 2015

The pictures and stories of Bostonians whose stories have been sidelined are now highlighted in a book more than 20 years in the making. Now in 107 portraits coupled with narrative profiles, the contributions of some notable Bostonians of color are preserved for all time. The book is Portraits of Purpose: A Tribute to Leadership and we’re joined by photographer Don West and writer, Kenneth Cooper.

Basic Black - Boston: Going for gold...

Basic Black

January 23, 2015

Boston won the opportunity to represent the United States in a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, erupting a host of opinions, with very few opinions coming down the middle, but all of them mentioning the cost. What will be the impact good or bad, for Boston's neighborhoods? Later in the show, we review Boston Mayor Marty Walsh¹s first State of the City address. What do his plans mean for the future of race relations, economic development, and public safety?

By Brian McCreath
In November 2008, thanks to the Celebrity Series of Boston, we had the chance here in Boston to experience the connections between Bartók's work and its spiritual (and sometimes actual) source material in a fiery, colorful, visceral way.

By Valerie Linson
It’s promising a new world for Spidey fans to play in, a darker one where Peter Parker will be spending his time investigating the truth about his father and inventing artificial webs, all while barely casting a shadow of the geeky and goofy Parker of Spider-Mans past.

News updates from WGBH

Basic Black is produced live in WGBH's Studio B featuring a panel of the region’s sharpest observers of the current news, events, and topics impacting black communities locally and nationally. A simultaneous live stream at www.basicblack.org gives viewers the opportunity to submit comments and questions in real time during the broadcast.

Since 1968, Basic Black (formerly Say Brother) has reflected on the concerns and culture of African Americans through conversations, performances, and short-form documentaries. Basic Black captures the stories and events that illuminate the African American experience in the Boston area and beyond.